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Monday, 28 July 2014

Applebar Juices, Cheltenham - Review

I love fruit. Fresh, tinned, raw, stewed, in a smoothie. You name it. Yum! It was a sunny day in Cheltenham and I had time to burn before my acupuncture appointment (Review coming roon). I found out about Applebar via my HappyCow veggie app - an app that tracks down your nearest place to get veggie grub. It was very easy to find. From the high street, follow the road opposite H&M and it is just over the crossroads on your left. It's very small and sometimes looks closed. It's not! It's open!

Applebar, Cheltenham +

There were 2 customers before me with 2 more behind me by the time I left. I was glad of the queue as it gave me time to peruse the smoothie and juice menus. I was surprised not only at the vast variety but mostly at the prices. It was ridiculously cheap! I was expecting to pay £4+ but this was definitely not the case. The bar is very small with a little seating area to relax and sip your drink. There are healthy snacks such as locally made vegan dark chocolate. A range of 'boosters' are available for your drinks such as wheatgrass powder and soy protein. If juice isn't your thing, they offer a daily homemade soup. Always dairy and gluten free and 100% plant based.

I ended up with a custom order of beetroot, celery, spinach, pineapple and apple. The friendly girl prepared all the fresh fruit and veg, chucked them in the juicer and handed me what was an extremely delicious and refreshing (and healthy!) juice despite the odd sounding combination.Applebar offer a loyalty card and even do a detox. This is 4 juices a day for 3 - 7 days at a mere £15 per day. You can sign up on their Facebook page then pop in to collect your drinks though they do deliver around Cheltenham. Sadly I live on the other side of Gloucestershire else I know I'd be one of their annoying regular customers.

The only thing that worries me about Applebar is their pricing. I shouldn't complain but I really think their prices are too low. When I lived in Swansea there were two similar smoothie bars offering delicious drinks and always bustling with customers. Both shut down in less than two years. Why? They were too cheap so couldn't make enough profit to survive despite both being popular. I really do not want to see Applebar follow suit. Juice bars are a rare, healthy alternative to the regular high street drinks available so it would be a real shame. Sp if you are in or near Cheltenham, pop in and give them your business. Delicious!

What fruit and veg combo would you drink? Do you have a local juice bar?